Counter frame latch joint



April 25, 1967 00 7 3,315,996

COUNTER FRAME LATCH JOINT Filed Feb. 9, 1965 3 Sheets+$heet 1 GERALD H. SED O.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

April 25, 1967 H, EDQ 3,315,996

COUNTER FRAME LATCH JOINT Filed Feb. 9, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 GERALD mszoo.

INVENTOR.

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April 25, 1967 G. H. SEDO 3,315,996

COUNTER FRAME LATCH JOINT Filed Feb. 9, 1965 3 Sheefos-Sheet 3 GERALD H. 5500, INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Ofifice 3,315,996 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 3,315,996 CtBUNTER FRAME LATCH JOINT Gerald H. Sedo, West Covina, Califi, assignor to M 3: D Store Fixtures, line, a corporation of California Filed Feb. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 431,399 2 Claims. (Cl. 287--189.36)

This invention relates to sectional frames such as are employed in merchandise display gondolas and the like and particularly to such frames as are adapted for as sembly and disassembly by the merchant using the same.

Sectional frames of this type are conventionally made up of a rigid base section which is referred to as a bridge assembly and one or more so-called added sections which are added consecutively in chain-like fashion to one end or the other, or to both ends of the rigid base section. The entire sectional frame includes vertical posts and upper and lower horizontal stringers and lies in a single vertical plane. It is held upright by transverse members extending laterally therefrom on the level of the lower stringers, said members having short legs near their outer ends which rest on the floor. Outer ends of said transverse members are joined by horizontal channel members detachably secured to said transverse members. A sectional frame may be provided with such transverse members on one side of said frame only or duplicate sets of transverse members may be provided which extends symmetrically from opposite sides of said frame.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved counter frame latch joint which is adapted to be embodied with any pair of consecutive sections of such a sectional frame, to join together such sections at any point at which said sections are contiguous and to positively latch said sections together at said point, while permitting said sections to be readily separated at said point upon a deliberate manipulation of a latching means embodied with said joint.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved counter frame latch joint which is particularly adapted for making a connection as aforesaid at a lower contiguous point where the lower stringer of an added section abuts against a flat vertical wall of a cu'oular metallic post of another section.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such an improved counter frame latch joint which Will also be applicable to connecting said horizontal channel members detachably to outer ends of said transverse members.

It has been the practice heretofore, to provide said horizontal channel members with foot shaped lugs at their A ends disposed in horizontal planes. Side walls of said transverse members were provided near their ends with horizontal slots to receive said lugs. To bring the front edges of said horizontal channel members into flush relation with the outer ends of said transverse members, it was necessary to first insert said lugs into said slots with said horizontal channel members located inwardly from the outer ends of said transverse members and then pull said horizontal channel members outwardly to engage said lugs with outer edges of said slots. The interlocking operation thus terminated with the outer faces of said horizontal members flush with the ends of said transverse members. For decorative purposes plastic bumper strips are mounted along the front faces of said horizontal channel members, these being supported on sheet metal adapter strips which are welded along the front edge of said horizontal members and are slidably received by longitudinal slots formed by extrusion in the rear faces of said bumper The former practice above described required that the adapter strip terminate flush with the end of the longitudinal channel member on which it was welded.

The bumper strip mounted on said adapter strip had to provided in an end extend beyond the end of said horizontal channel member to overlie the end of said transverse member. Said bumper strip was thus subject to being broken by an inadvertent blow delivered against the bumper strip just inwardly from where said longitudinal member abutted against said transverse member.

It is another object of the present invention, therefore, to provide such an improved counter frame latch joint which may be employed to join an end of a longitudinal channel member to an end portion of a transverse member and which will permit the sheet metal adapter strip supporting a bumper strip to extend beyond the end of said horizontal channel member so as to overlie the end of said transverse member and thereby reinforce said bumper strip where the end portion of the latter extends in front of said transverse member.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an improved counter frame latch joint in which the attaching lugs lie in vertical planes and thus positively prevent a longitudinal member being kicked inwardly relative to an end portion or" a transverse member to which it is secured by said joint whereby said bumper strip is supported by said horizontal channel member in such a sturdy manner that the bumper strip can take an extreme amount of punishment without suffering damage therefrom.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a sectional frame made up of a rigid section and an added section with said frame fully assembled by use of the present invention.

PEG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary planned view of a portion of the sectional frame shown in FIG. 1 and illustrates the improved counter frame latch joint of the invention performing its function rigidly connecting a pair of aligned horizontal channel members in abutting relation with an end portion of a transverse frame member, this view also illustrating how the bumper strips mounted on the front faces of said horizontal channel members are rigidly supported in abutting relation overlying the front end of said transverse member.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 and shows how the locking lugs of the invention have been inserted in their respective slots provided respectively therefor in said transverse member and then shifted into locking relation with said member after which the snap locking means of said joint snap into place to retain said horizontal channel members in rigidly locked abutting relation with said end portion of said transverse member. This view also shows how a tool may be inserted downwardly through a suitable small hole portion of each of said horizontal channel members to release the latch means "of the joint of the invention to permit one of said horizontal channel members to be shifted upwardly relative to said transverse member so as to separate said members.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view taken on the same plane as FIG. 3 and illustrating the latch joint for connecting one of said horizontal channel members to said transverse members entirely disconnected therefrom while the latch joint for connecting the other horizontal channel member with said transverse member is in the process of either being moved into locking relation or moved out of locking relation.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and shows the slots provided in each of the vertical walls of said end portion of said transverse member for accommodating the locking lugs and the latch dog of the latch joint of the invention.

3 FIG. 6 is an end view of one of said horizontal channel members and is taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4 and illustrates the manner of mounting the aforementioned bumper strip on the outer face of said horizontal channel member and also shows the two locking lugs and the spring latch of the invention and the manner in which these are mounted on said channel member.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing the latch joint bracket on which the locking feet of the invention as well as the spring steel clip thereof are mounted, said clip being shown lifted upwardly and in separated relation with said bracket so as to disclose the structure thereof.

FIG. 8 is a slightly enlarged perspective view of the two frame sections shown fully assembled in FIG. 1, with said sections in disassembled relation with each other and illustrating the contiguous points between said sections at which the latch joint of the invention is adapted to be provided thereon for accomplishing the assembly of said sections.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the two latch joints of the invention shown in FIG. 2 with port-ions of the structure thereof cut away on line 3-3, with the joint on the left hand shown completely engaged while the joint on the right side of this view is shown as partially disengaged.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view through the joint of the invention as this is applied to connecting the free end of the bottom stringer of an added section to the tubular vertical post at the closed end of another section.

FIG. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of said free end of said bottom stringer and illustrates the details of the invention embodied therewith.

FIG. 12a is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 12a-12a in FIG. 11.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 8, the invention is there shown as associated with a sectional gondola frame 15 which is made up of a rigid section 16 and an added section 17. Rigid section 16 includes vertical posts 18 and 19 which are rigidly spaced by upper and lower stringers 20 and 21, which are welded at their opposite ends to said posts, and a vertical strut 22 joins said stringers at their midpoints.

Supplementally, the rigid section 16 may be considered as also embracing two pairs 23 and 24 of transverse members having short legs 25 at their outer ends and which are demounta-bly attached to posts 18 and 19 so that the legs 25 co-operate with the lower ends of said posts in supporting the rigid section 16 in a vertical plane. Outer end portions of transverse members 23 and 24 are connected together by longitudinal channel members 30. The joints between these channel members and said transverse members are shown in the drawings as being accomplished by the latch joint of the present invention, as will be made clear hereinafter.

The added section 17 includes a single vertical post 31, to which corresponding ends of upper and lower stringers 32 and 33 are permanently secured as by welding, while upper and lower ends of a strut 34 placed between said stringers at their mid-points, are welded thereto to rigidly unite said post, stringers and strut. The added section 17 is then supplemented by a single pair of transverse members 35 which are demountably connected with post 31 and have short legs 36 at their outer ends which cooperate with post 31 to support added section 17 in a vertical plane when the lefthand free ends of stringers 32 and 33 are secured by suitable demountable joints to the post 19 of rigid section 16 as shown in FIG. 1.

When the two sections 16 and 17 are thus connected together, the outer ends of the pair of transverse members 24 and the pair of transverse members 35 are adapted to be demountably connected together by longitudinal channel members 37.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use, when assembling the sectional gondola frame 15, in connecting the free end of lower stringer 33 of added section 17 to the vertical post 19 of rigid section 16 and to demountably connecting the longitudinal members 30 and 37 to the outer ends of pairs of transverse members 23, 24 and 35. The invention might also be used for joining the free end of upper stringer 32 to the contiguous end of upper stringer 20 of rigid section 16. As an alternative form of joint for this purpose, the righthand end portion 38 of upper stringer 20 of rigid section 16 may be left open, and the left end portion of upper stringer 32 of added section 17 be provided with a tongue 39 rigidly mounted therein, said tongue having a latch 40 and being insertable into the open righthand end of upper stringer 20 until the two stringers are brought into end-to-end abutment,-whereupon the spring latch 40 snaps into place over the upper end of the sidewall of the post 19 so as to retain the upper stringer 20 of the rigid section 16 and the upper stringer 32 of added section 17 thus rigidly united in end-to-end aligned relation.

The present invention will first be described in its association with the post 19 and lower stringer 33 for the purpose of joining these elements of the frame 15. Referring particularly to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the lower stringers 21 and 33 are seen to include a central inverted channel 45 which is formed integral with lateral tray supporting troughs 46. The channel 45 of lower stringer 33 has a horizontal upper wall 47 having a central opening 48 at its end for a purpose which will be made clear hereinafter. Mounted within said channel 45 is a foot bracket 49 comprising a sheet metal stamping with an inverted-hat cross-section to include a bottom wall 50, side walls 51 and horizontal flanges 52, which extend outwardly from upper edges of said sidewalls, and are spot welded to the horizontal upper wall 47 of said channel. The bracket 49 is so installed as to be flush with the front end of channel 45 and has, integrally formed on the sidewalls 51, a pair of locking feet 53 which lie in spaced vertical planes which are parallel with the lower stringer and have notches 54 extending upwardly in their lower edges flush with the open end of channel 45 so that said feet constitute downwardly facing hooks.

Disposed within the bracket 49 and anchored to the bottom wall 50 as by a rivet 55 is a catch spring 60 the front end portion 61 of which is bent upwardly so as to be spring biased just outwardly from the open end of channel 45 and has formed along its upper edge a backwardly inclined flange 62, while just below this flange a semi-cylindrical cup is outstruck forwardly from spring end portion 61 to form a catch 63 which faces upwardly in a vertical plane parallel with and located midway between said feet.

As shown in FIG. 12a, the vertical wall 64 of post 19 of rigid section 16 as provided therein at the level where lower stringer 21 is welded to said post, a pair of spaced vertical slots 65 which are adapted to receive the feet 53 when the same are shifted horizontally towards and in alignment with said slots, said feet then being shifted downwardly to receive the material of the wall 64, just below slots 65 into the notches 54 of said feet thereby hooking said feet over the lower ends of said slots as shown in FIG. 10. Also provided in vertical wall 64 is a rectangular aperture 66 which is so located that when feet 53 are thus extended through slots 65 and shifted downwardly into hooking relation with the lower ends thereof, the catch 63 will be spring biased into said aperture thereby latching the locking feet 53 in locking relation with the slots 65.

When it is desired to disconnect the lower stringer 33 from post 19 a screw driver may be inserted downwardly through the opening 48 in said stringer and by deflecting the catch 63 out of the aperture 66, the bottom stringer will be free to be lifted upwardly to the upper limits of slots 65 whereupon the feet 53 may be readily withdrawn horizontally from said slots.

In a like manner, the counter frame latch joint of the present invention may advantageously be utilized in demountably connecting the opposite ends of longitudinal channel members and 37 to the outer end portions of transverse members 23, 24 and 35. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 to 9 inclusive, it is to be noted that the transverse members 23, 24- :and are of tubular metallic construction with a square cross-section so that flat sidewalls 67 of said members are vertical. Near the ends 68 of said transverse members, said sidewalls are provided with a pair of slots 69 and an aperture 76' which correspond exactly in size and spacing with the slots 65 and aperture 66 above described as being formed in the vertical wall 64 of post 19 It is also to be noted that each of the longitudinal channel members 30 and 37 includes an upper horizontal wall 75 having vertical walls 76 formed downwardly from its side edges. It is also to be noted that upper wall 75 has formed therein at each of the ends of said channel members a notched opening 77 which is equivalent in location and function to the central opening 48 formed in the open end of lower stringer 33 of added section 17, and above described. Mounted in each of the end portions of each of the longitudinal channel members 30 and 37 is a bracket 78 which is similar in construction to the foot bracket 49 above described and provides a pair of locking feet 79 which extend forwardly in vertical planes which are parallel with said channel members and which are provided with notches 80 in their lower edges enabling them to hook downwardly in performing their locking function in the same manner as locking feet 53 provided on the bracket 49. A catch spring 81 is mounted in the bracket 78 and is secured thereto as by a rivet 82 so that a forward portion 83 of said spring, which is bent upwardly, is provided with a disengaging flange 84 at its upper end and a forwardly outstruck catch 85 which faces upwardly, and is spring biased forwardly just outwardly from the outer end of the channel member in which said bracket is mounted.

It thus may be readily seen by reference to FIGS 2, 3 and 4 that the opposite ends of longitudinal members 30 and 37 may be readily locked to and latched in locked relationship with outer end portions of transverse members 23, 24 and 35 by following precisely the same steps above described for locking the lower stringer 33 to the post 19. In like manner the connections thus made may be unmade merely by extending a screwdriver downwardly through the opening 77 in the upper horizontal walls of said channel members and actuating the disengaging fianges 84- so as to release the catches 85 and permit the withdrawal of locking feet 79 from the vertical slots 69 in said transverse members.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8, the outer vertical wall 76 of each of the longitudinal channel members 30 and 37 is provided with an adapter strip 90 which is formed of thin sheet metal to provide support for a decorative plastic bumper strip 91 which is adapted to be mounted on the adapter strip by a longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto. The present invention has the advantage of permitting said adapter strip to be permanently united with each of the longitudinal channel members 30 and 37 with said adapter strip extending lengthwise beyond the ends of said channel members so as to overlie the outer ends 68 of transverse members 23, 24 and 35. Thus the end portions of the bumper strips are supported by the adapter strip throughout their length and particularly where they overlie the juncture between the longitudinal channel members and the transverse members.

The claims are:

1. A latch joint for use in assembling a frame by demountably connecting an end of a horizontal sheet metal channel member in abutting relation with a vertical wall of a hollow sheet metal member, the combination of: a sheet metal frame channel member having a horizontal main wall and side walls bent vertically downwardly from side edges of said main wall, one end of said channel member being open; a sheet metal foot carrying bracket having an inverted-hat cross section and including a lower horizontal wall, vertical side walls, horizontal flanges bent outwardly from upper edges of said side walls, and a pair of locking feet formed integral and coplanar with said bracket side walls and extending endwise in a given direction therefrom, said bracket being inserted into said open end of said frame channel member and rigidly secured to the latter with said feet extending endwise from said open end; a latch spring mounted within said bracket said spring having a catch provided thereon which faces upwardly and is spring biased a slight distance outwardly from said open end of said channel member between said locking feet, the latter being notched upwardly in their lower edges flush with said open end; and a hollow sheet metal frame member having a flat vertical wall, a pair of vertical slots being provided in said wall in parallel horizontally spaced relation, said slots being properly dimensioned to slidably receive said feed horizontally to bring said channel open end into abutment with said vertical wall, said channel member then being shiftable downwardly to receive portions of said Wall, below said slots, into said notches of said feet and thus lock said channel frame member and said hollow frame member together, the vertical wall of said hollow frame member also having an aperture between said slots which is positioned to allow said catch to be spring biased into said aperture to retain said feet in locking relation with said vertical wall of said hollow frame member.

2. In a latch joint for use in assembling a frame by demountably connecting hollow sheet metal frame members, the combination of: a hollow horizontal sheet metal frame member having an open end; a sheet metal bracket mounted within said open end portion of said member; a pair of locking feet formed integrally upon said bracket and extending endwise in spaced vertical planes from said open end of said member, said feet forming downward facing hooks; spring catch means mounted within said bracket and including a catch facing upwardly and spring biased outwardly from said open end of said memher; and a second hollow sheet metal frame member having a vertical wall, in which is formed a pair of horizontally spaced parallel vertical slots adapted for receiving said feet, the latter then being shiftable downwardly to hook said feet Over lower end portions of said slots, said Wall also having an aperture between said slots for receiving said catch whereby said members are locked together by said feet with said horizontal member in endwise abutment with said vertical wall of said second member, and disengagement of a said feet is prevented. by said catch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,088,320 7/1937 De Vries 287-48936 2,200,158 5/1940 Clarke 287-20927 X 2,781,110 2/1957 Weller et al 287189.36 3,047,108 7/1962 DAltrui 287-48936 3,208,778 9/1965 Gordon 287-18936 X HARRISON R. MOSE'LEY, Primary Examiner. P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN A LATCH JOINT FOR USE IN ASSEMBLING A FRAME BY DEMOUNTABLY CONNECTING HOLLOW SHEET METAL FRAME MEMBERS, THE COMBINATION OF: A HOLLOW HORIZONTAL SHEET METAL FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END; A SHEET METAL BRACKET MOUNTED WITHIN SAID OPEN END PORTION OF SAID MEMBER; A PAIR OF LOCKING FEET FORMED INTEGRALLY UPON SAID BRACKET AND EXTENDING ENDWISE IN SPACED VERTICAL PLANES FROM SAID OPEN END OF SAID MEMBER, SAID FEET FORMING DOWNWARD FACING HOOKS; SPRING CATCH MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BRACKET AND INCLUDING A CATCH FACING UPWARDLY AND SPRING BIASED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OPEN END OF SAID MEMBER; AND A SECOND HOLLOW SHEET METAL FRAME MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL WALL, IN WHICH IS FORMED A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED PARALLEL VERTICAL SLOTS ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING SAID FEET, THE LATTER THEN BEING SHIFTABLE DOWNWARDLY TO HOOK SAID FEET OVER LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID SLOTS, SAID WALL ALSO HAVING AN APERTURE BETWEEN SAID SLOTS FOR RECEIVING SAID CATCH WHEREBY SAID MEMBERS ARE LOCKED TOGETHER BY SAID FEET WITH SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBER IN ENDWISE ABUTMENT WITH SAID VERTICAL WALL OF SAID SECOND MEMBER, AND DISENGAGEMENT OF A SAID FEET IS PREVENTED BY SAID CATCH. 